How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in 2026?

What does a basic small business website cost?

A Starter Website costs €490 at House4Code. It includes a custom 5-page website, mobile responsive design, a contact form, basic local SEO and AEO setup, and a professional launch. It's the right choice when your customers mostly come from referrals and you need the site to confirm you're legitimate, not to generate leads on its own. It's live in about 2 weeks.

What does a lead-generating business website cost?

Most local service businesses - HVAC, plumbers, clinics, contractors - should usually budget for the €990 Growth Website or a €2,000+ Custom Growth System:

• Growth Website at €990: lead-focused page structure, quote or booking form, Google reviews section, analytics, speed optimization, and stronger local SEO and AEO.
• Custom Growth System from €2,000+: everything in Growth plus multi-service or location pages, CRM or email integration, advanced tracking, automation, e-commerce, or custom functionality.

The difference between €490 and €990+ isn't decoration - it's whether each of your services has its own page that can rank for its own search. That's what turns a website from a business card into a lead source.

How much does an e-commerce website cost?

An online store or custom workflow usually fits the Custom Growth System from €2,000+: product catalog, payment flows, integrations, automation, or custom functionality are scoped into a fixed quote. Details on the e-commerce service page.

What ongoing costs should I budget for?

The build price is not the whole story. Realistic recurring numbers:

None of these are mandatory. A static site on modern hosting can run on a few dollars a month; add services only when growth justifies them.

Why do quotes for the "same" website range from €500 to €20,000?

Three honest reasons. First, overhead: an agency quote carries salaries, office costs, and sales commissions; a solo builder's doesn't - that's a big part of why my prices start where they do. Second, scope creep in disguise: "website" can mean 4 templated pages or 30 custom ones with integrations. Get the page list and feature list in writing before comparing quotes. Third, some sellers price by what your industry can pay, not by the work. Published pricing - like mine - is the antidote.

What makes the price go up?

• Page count and custom design - every unique layout takes design and build time
• Integrations - booking systems, CRMs, payment gateways; each one needs configuration and testing
• Content readiness - if text and photos don't exist, someone has to create them
• E-commerce complexity - product count, variants, shipping rules, tax zones

Is a €490 website ever the right choice?

Yes - often. If you're a referral-driven business that needs credibility rather than search traffic, a clean €490 site beats a custom system you didn't need. I'd rather tell you that upfront than upsell you; it's why every project starts with a free growth plan instead of a sales pitch. And whatever option you pick: when it's paid, you own the design, the code, and the domain - completely.

Next step

Compare the full options on the pricing section, see what a real build looks like in the freight company case study, or read how long a website actually takes to build.